The present invention relates to an apparatus for carrying out a treatment simultaneously on a plurality of samples in a moist medium, the apparatus employing heating of the samples by microwaves. Also the invention relates to a method of utilization of the apparatus for carrying out chemical reactions on samples which may be a mineral, organic or organometallic compound, or a mixture of compounds.
There has already been described, especially in European Patent No. 156 742, an apparatus and method intended for carrying out a chemical reaction, in a moist medium, on a series of samples, the samples being prepared in advance and introduced in flasks placed into the housings of a carousel, the flasks being then brought successively into the application cavity to receive microwaves from a microwave generator. Such an apparatus is marketed by the company PROLABO under reference MICRODIGEST 300. This apparatus serves well for treating the samples individually.
In the laboratory, it is, however, sometimes necessary to be able to carry out a treatment, in a moist medium, in identical conditions of temperature and time, on a plurality of samples. Thus, the treatment should be carried out simultaneously on the plurality of samples.
It has been proposed, as described in British Patent 2 081 442, to produce an oven which heats using microwaves and which delimits an application cavity able to contain a number of receptacles suspended by their necks, whereby the entire receptacle is situated within the cavity.
Such an apparatus permits effective treatment of various samples simultaneously under the same conditions of temperature and reaction time, but does not permit easy access to the receptacles for the operator, for example, in order to introduce a supplementary reagent, or to visually monitor the progress of the reactions. In order to do that, the operator must, after switching off the microwave generator, open the front door of the oven, but that means that the receptacles are not of easy access. Moreover, in such an apparatus, the entire receptacle is heated, including its neck, and not just the part containing the sample to be treated.
One object of the invention is to provide an apparatus for carrying out a treatment, in a moist medium, on a plurality of samples.
Another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus for carrying out a treatment in a moist medium, wherein heat is applied by means of microwaves, and wherein easy access can be had to the receptacles containing the samples.